Tetra
by sydthekidhollis
Summary: On Tetra Island, the government tells it's citizens that long ago the oceans flooded everything but the island. 17-year-old Lia Marklin believes this isn't true, and that there's other land somewhere. What would happen if she could leave Tetra?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, so this is an original idea I had. I really hope you guys like it, I just need some feedback for sure to know if I should continue writing it. It's also on my fictionpress where I'm also sydthekidhollis. Let me know if you like it, I need honest opinions! **

Chapter 1: Tetra

Yesterday was just like the day before. Today will be just like yesterday. Tomorrow will be just like today. Your life almost never changes on Tetra Island. The first 5 years of your life, your parents teach you the ways of the island. They tell you what's right, what's wrong, and how to follow the laws of the government. It may seem like a lot to teach to a toddler, but nothing is really all that easy here. After that, you move on to school for 13 years. School is 6 days a week, from 7 to 11 in the morning. We have five classes each day. Math, Island History, English, Science, and Job Study. The teachers tell us Job Study is the most important class, because it teaches you how to do every job on the island. When you turn 18, you finally get out of school... Only to get a job. The government assigns you a job where help is most needed on the island. If you're lucky, you'll get a job that's actually above ground. Our island is named "Tetra" after a scientific prefix actually. In this prefix, "Tetra" means 4, which represents the 4 levels you can work. Level 1 is the only level of work that's above ground. Shop workers, fisherman, teachers, maids, bus drivers, farmers and more all work on this level. If you work on levels 2 through 4, you're pretty much a factory worker. You make everything and anything the people need on the island. Level 2-4 are the jobs people hate most. But we need those jobs for all the people we have. Our island is a very busy one, with about a half million people. This also means everyone is very close together. Very packed in small, crowded neighborhoods. On the highest mountain in the center of the island, lies Rulers Palace. This is where any and all government decisions are made. How many kids a family can have, what a citizen's job will be, where their house will be located... Our laws are very strict here. Considering it's the only land left in the world, they probably should be. Centuries ago, there was a huge disaster to the world. The Earth used to have these things called continents, sort of like huge islands. Somehow, these continents were drowned by the ocean. Only Tetra Island was spared, because of our high land. This story seems very hard to believe... I don't see how the ocean could just drown all the continents with water. Most people never think about this, but it comes to my mind a lot. Around the whole island, there are guard houses within every half mile. And between the guard houses, fences taller than the tallest houses on Tetra. Patrol boats are always patrolling around the island 24 hours a day. They say these guards and boats are to "protect" us. But protect us from what? The ocean? The only people who have access to the ocean are the fisherman and patrol boat captains... Weather here on the island is just like everything else. The same. 80 degrees and sunny every day. Except for 1 month of the year, November. The month everyone dreads the most. If we're lucky, we'll only get 1 hurricane in November, but 2 or 3 is the average. My mother was actually born, and named after this awful month. My parents Rain and Theo Marklin are considered one of the lucky ones on the island. My mother works as a maid in the Rulers Palace, and my father works as a plantain farmer. They work on level 1, and were allowed 2 kids. Me and my little brother Aimes. We live near the ocean, and near the school too. My parents both have to leave at an early 5 in the morning to catch busses to their jobs. I'm the one that's in charge of getting my brother and I to school. I get out of bed, and dress the way the school says we're required to. A white shirt, and some sort of khaki bottoms. I pull on a white polo shirt, and slip into a khaki skirt. I walk into my brother's room, and find him sound asleep. He looks more like my mother than he does my father. Brown hair and blue eyes.

"Aimes, it's time to wake up. We have to go to school now." I say in a quiet voice.

"Lia... five more minutes." He says and throws a pillow at my face.

I throw the pillow back at his face, and he just ignores it. It was only a few weeks ago my brother had his birthday and I was the one who got him a brand new telescope. It's the best telescope on the island. It's guaranteed to see so far away, that you could point out a single crater on the moon. Of course this island doesn't make telescopes as a job. I had to go to the west side of the island to pick it out, where the Merchants are. He stays up late every night to look at the stars on the roof.

"Oh that's it!" I say and pick him up out of bed.

"Lia! Lia! Put me down!" He says with a laugh.

My brother and I have always had a very close relationship. He might only be 10, but he's one of the only people I can actually talk to. If I ever lost Aimes, I wouldn't have much to live for anymore. It's not like the life ahead of me will be too great anyway, though.

"We're you up late again last night?" I ask.

"Maybe..." He says in a shameful tone.

Just as I suspected. He's up on the roof until almost midnight usually.

"I should've never gotten you that telescope for your birthday." I say with a shake of my head. "Come on now, get dressed. It's a beautiful day. 80 degrees and..."

"80 degrees and sunny, I know." He says.

Aimes gets dressed in a white shirt and khaki shorts, and comes downstairs to me. I hand him a banana for breakfast and we walk out the door. We begin our short 10 minute walk to school.

"Ugh, I hate being 10..." Aimes says. "5th grade sucks."

I give him a weird look and start laughing. He hates being 10? How does he think I feel? I much rather be going to school for 5 hours a day, than work 8 or 12 hours a day!

"You hate being 10? I'm 17 Aimes! I have to be assigned a job next year." I say.

"Well I have to go to school for a few more years!" He says and crosses his arms.

"Yeah, because school is so hard." I say sarcastically.

The day I turn 18 is the day I fear most. What happens if I have to work underground? I would rather just stay in school for the rest of my life rather than that. I hope when I get assigned, they need a good history or science teacher. These are the 2 subjects I'm always most interested in, even though the teachers says they're least important. My mother always tells me "Lia, don't always do what they say. Find a way to be your own person." Oh mother... If only there was a way to do that. I do try my best to take her advice. I sit at the edge of the fence and watch the ocean. I climb the palm and coconut trees, to see the sun set under the rainforest. I push myself to be strong, just to say I'm not weak like everyone else. I read old books, to become more knowledgeable about the older world and the island. I deserve to get the job I want. We arrive at the school and we hear the 1st bell ring.

"I'll see you here at 11. No later. I want to show you something after school." I say.

I walk into my island history class and set down my backpack on the floor. Our teacher begins to take attendance.

"Lia Marklin?"

"Here." I say.

The teacher calls off about thirty more names and begins the lesson. Our Junior Class is a pretty small class this year, with only about 150 kids. I don't really have any friends in any of my classes. I don't really have that many friends at all. My best friend, Celestia, is actually a senior. I hear a lot of rumors about myself. A lot of people wonder why I hang out with a book nerd like Celestia. A lot of people wonder how I don't have many friends. Some girls tell me how I'm pretty and would be able to get any boy I wanted. None of the junior boys like me in this class, and I'm just fine with that. I've never really cared that much about boys, although my father insists I'll find the right one someday. My teacher begins telling us my favorite true story about the story. It's a sad one, but the girl in the story it reminds me of myself.

"Long ago, there was a very bold girl who loved adventure. She didn't believe the stories of how the ocean consumed all land but Tetra. Her teachers, parents, and friends tried constantly to convince her otherwise. She would never believe what they said, so one day she committed the most horrible crime. The girl stole a patrol boat, and went off of the island. She traveled for days and days, until another patrol boatman came to find her. 'There's nothing...' The girl said. 'There is no land but Tetra.' The girl was let go of prison duties since she was only 16. People found her crazy for doing what she did." Our teacher says. "This proves even that there truly isn't any land but Tetra."

A kid raises his hand in class.

"But Miss, I read this same story in a library book. But it had a different ending. It said the girl never returned. What if she did find land?" He asks.

What book did he find that in? Whatever it is, I want to read it. What if I could be like this girl, and really escape the island? If I did find land, I would come back and tell everyone the government has lied to us for years! How surprised everyone would be! Security is so tight now a days though, you couldn't just steal a patrol boat. Unless you knew someone's whose job was patrol boatman... How I'd love to get off this horrible island. I would rather die than work in a factory for the rest of my life! I could take my family and Celestia's. Maybe where we went there would be other jobs. I could be a history teacher, and Aimes could be a scientist of some sort.

"She wouldn't find land." My teacher says to the boy. "There is no land but Tetra. That's not the real story. My story is the true one, not the one you read from a book."

I raise my hand cautiously.

"Lia." She says and points.

I wonder what side of the island the girl went off of? That would give me some clue on where to go if I did get the chance to leave.

"What side of the island did the girl go off of?" I ask.

My teacher gives me a confused look, and flips through some pages in a book.

"The south shore." She says and puts the book down. "Class dismissed."

I go to English class, and our teacher teaches us how back then people used to write poems. He reads us a couple poems, and they remind me of songs. They use similes and metaphors, to express what the writing is about. We have few songs on this island. Many people don't have the time to play old instruments, and write songs. That isn't a job here. The only time there is music is if someone is singing, or at a school dance. We hear the bell ring that symbolizes our fifteen minute break has started. Most kids use the fifteen minutes to stand in the hall and talk, but I usually go to the library to find my best friend Celestia. I pick up my backpack and walk into the senior hallway to find her. I met Celestia when I was only 6, in the library. I don't always call her by her full name of course. I usually just call her Less. Celestia is very smart, since she reads books all the time. She's much like me, but we look nothing alike. I have wavy blonde hair, with dark brown eyes. She has red hair with loose curls, and blue eyes. She also has a 10 year old sibling like I do. Her sister, Addyson, looks exactly like her. Addyson even needs glasses like Celestia does. I walk down the hall to look for her, when I'm stopped by someone. Aaron Wilkes. The senior boy that almost everyone seems to fall in love with. He's asked me to every single dance since I was a freshman. It's no doubt that he's going to ask me now.

"So Lia... The dance is coming up you know. And I figured since this was my last dance, I'd ask you." He says and puts his arm around my waist.

I can't stand this kind of gesture. I can't stand Aaron Wilkes at all. I have no more patience with this guy. If all guys are like this, I'm never getting married. Even if the island requires me to, I won't. They can't force me to marry someone.

"Well you'd be stupid to ask me. You know what my answer already is." I say and push his hand off of me.

He stops me again by putting his hand on my left shoulder. Will this kid ever get a hint? I will never go to the dance with him. Ever. In fact, I probably wouldn't go to the dance with any boy in this school.

"Come on Lia... You know you want to go to the dance with me. You just don't want people seeing us as a couple." He says.

I blush and push his hand off me again. See us as a couple? I barely want people seeing us talk in the hallway!

"You know you're going to marry me someday Lia." Aaron says teasingly.

I feel my face go hot with anger and throw my backpack on the ground. I grab Aaron's arm and twist it until I hear a sharp "crack!"

"Look here now Aaron. I will never; and I mean _never_ go to a dance with you. I don't care if you were the last boy on Tetra, I would still go to the dance alone. Don't you _ever _ask me that again. And what's this whole thing about me _marrying _you? You actually believe I'd marry you if I won't even go to the dance with you? You're better off with asking a freshman." I say and untwist his arm.

I pick up my backpack, and continue walking down to the library. I can't believe he would say such a thing to me! About us getting married? The nerve of that boy... I see Celestia standing against the wall with a book.

"Uh... Did you see all that?" I ask and look down at my feet.

Celestia laughs and looks up at me from her book.

"Oh Lia." She says and shakes her head. "Never really been the one for boys huh?"

Celestia rolls her eyes and looks over at Aaron. He's getting up from the floor and rubbing his arm. I must've hurt him pretty hard back there.

"Not when they tell me they're going to marry me!" I say angrily. "Besides... That's not what's important. You know the story about the girl who took a patrol boat off the island?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Celestia asks.

Of course she knows that book. You could probably ask Less about any book in our school library and she'd give you a full summary of it. She's like me; We both have photographic memories. Anything that happens, we remember it exactly.

"Well some kid raised his hand and said he heard a different version. That the girl never came back. Less... What if the girl found land?" I ask.

She gives me a doubtful look and shakes her head no. She's probably right. How could I think such a stupid thing?

"She probably just died from starvation, Lia. She probably forgot to bring enough food." Celestia says doubtfully.

"What if... We went off the opposite side of the island? Where we are? The north shore?" I ask.

Celestia shakes her head no again. She used to think the same way as me; thinking we are not the only land. I'm surprised she doesn't think that way anymore. Or maybe she just thinks my plan is so impossible, that it would never work. Where would I get the boat? How am I sure I wouldn't die? I'm not sure. It sure would be better to find land than live my life on Tetra though.

"Impossible. Where would you get the boat?" Less asks.

She's right. There is in no way I could hijack a patrol boat. I would have to know someone with that job for me to even get my hands on one. I probably couldn't even drive the boat. We only had one class on how to do that, which was in 5th grade.

"I don't know. Maybe if I knew someone whose job was patrol boatman?" I say with a sigh. "Hey speaking of jobs... tomorrow is your 18th birthday! You get a letter with your job in it! Are you nervous?"

"Who wouldn't be? I don't want to work underground... That means today is my last day at school Lia. When am I ever going to see you?" She asks sadly.

I never really thought about the day Less had to leave school. I still have a whole year before I turn 18. What am I going to do during break from now on? I don't have any friends that are close enough for me to talk to. What if Less has a job that lasts all day long, with no time for us to be together?

"We'll make the time. I promise Less. So I'll go to your house tomorrow to open your job letter?" I ask.

"I'll see you there right after school." She says and starts to walk to her class.

I go back down my hallway, only to be stopped by Aaron again. What could he possibly want now? I swear if he tries to convince me to go to the dance again, this time I won't twist his arm. I'll break it.

"Hey Lia... Sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have said that stuff." He says.

Do I accept his apology... Or just walk away? I'll just be brief with this.

"No you shouldn't have." I say. "And I guess I'm sorry about twisting your arm."

"Yeah still hurts..." He says.

"That was the point." I say and walk to my next class.

My next few classes go by quickly. I'm eager to get out of school to finally take Aimes to see the ocean. He's never even seen it before. Never. Not even just to the edge of the fence. I find Aimes standing right where I told him to outside. We start walking north towards the shore.

"So where are you taking me?" Aimes asks excitedly.

"Somewhere you've never been before." I say.

I'm not even sure if Aimes will like the ocean. He's never really been the most outgoing person. Maybe it will scare him, or just bore him to death.

"Should we stop home so I can grab my telescope?" He asks.

Usually he uses his telescope to go on the roof, to look at stars. But what if we could look out at the ocean? Or climb the trees to see the whole island? What if... When we looked out at the ocean we found land?

"You know what? Let's stop home and get it. There are tons of faraway things we can see where were going." I say.

We stop at home and he climbs up on the roof to get it. He climbs back down the latter with it, and we continue venturing north. I can tell we're close. I hear waves crashing, and I can smell the salty sea air. We come to the edge of the fence, and Aimes looks up at me.

"The ocean? You took me to the ocean?" He asks.

"Isn't it beautiful? If only there weren't a fence to block it." I say.

We stare out at the ocean. Calm waves crash over Tetra's soft sand. Sea birds swoop down to pick up fish. The soft breezes rustle through the trees. I just wish these bars weren't here. Maybe, my job will be fisherman someday, and I'll be able to actually touch the ocean.

"Wow... Can we touch it?" He asks me.

"Does it look like we can touch it? Were blocked from it." I say sadly. "Hey follow me."

We go through some trees, until I find the tree I always climb. I took a knife here once, and carved an "L" in the trunk to determine it belonged to me. I climb to the top, and invite him up.

"Come up here. Bring your telescope." I say.

"I don't know Lia... What if I fall?" He asks.

I roll my eyes at him. Aimes has always been such a sissy. I should really start teaching him to be stronger. He's always afraid of getting in trouble, or getting hurt.

"Come on, I'll help you up." I say and reach out a hand.

He pulls himself up on a branch and we slowly but surely get to the top of the tree. I look over the island. You can see everything up here. To the east, west, south, and north to the ocean. On the horizon, you can always see these light, white clouds. No fences blocking what you can see anymore. The top of this tree is the only place I feel free. No one would have the nerve to come up here and get me. No one could ever even find me up here.

"Let me see your telescope." I say.

Aimes hands me his telescope, and I look east first. I see huge docks, with fisherman casting their lines. To the west, a busy town with tons of shops. To the south, a quieter place with few people walking around plantations of bananas and other fruits. Then I look north. What is that? The usual clouds? No... There's something else... Boats! I see boats! Boats with huge sails. The kind of boats I've only seen in books before.

"Aimes! Look at this!" I say.

When people hear about this discovery, they won't believe it. There must be people on the boats! I have to check this out. I have to get over there. Somehow, I have to get my plan to work.

**What did you guys think? This story will really be a little bit of everything in later chapters. Sci-fi, romance, adventure, family. Let me know! I NEED HONESTY! Review or PM me to let me know! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright soo I got a lot of feedback on this story from my Twitter page EverlarkQuotes, and everyone seemed to wanted to see the next chapters. So uhhh yeah here! **

Tetra : Chapter 2

"What is it? Clouds?" Aimes asks looking through the telescope.

Of course he would think it's the clouds. He's probably never seen a boat like this before. Neither have I really, but I have seen them in books.

"No Aimes. Way back then people used these things called sailboats. They aren't pushed by motors." I tell him.

"Then what do they run on? Air?" He asks with a laugh.

He takes this as a joke. The thing is, they actually do run on air. Wind actually. This just goes to show how less people know that haven't read the books that I do. I could write pages and pages about the older world. But no one would even care to read it.

"They do Aimes. The boats are pushed by the wind. The sail picks up the wind, and pushes the boat whichever way the wind is blowing." I say.

"Okay, so what's your point?" Aimes asks. "Why do I care about these sailboats?"

He doesn't get it? I guess he's not a very deep thinker, and he doesn't pay attention in school, but really. Doesn't he get that boats mean people? He really needs to start reading more.

"Okay Aimes, do boats drive themselves?" I ask.

"Well of course not!" He says. "People drive them. Wait a second… People! Oh my God Lia, People! People off the island!"

He finally gets it. I bet he's never even thought about if there was other land out there. It's not a topic anyone on Tetra really thinks about. They just figure this is the best we can get, and there is no other way. But I am way too logical to think that way. I know the whole ocean couldn't just consume everything.

"Yes! The possibilities! We have to go find those people. There must be other land if there's other people out there! Don't you get it? The lies the government has told us. All of our lives. All they are is greedy. Greedy for power." I say.

"Well we have to tell someone Lia! We have to go find those people." He says.

He wants to go there. To get off this island. Probably so he could skip school. He's only stating the obvious though. Of course we have to tell someone. Of course we have to find the people.

"I know. But how? No one will come up here with us to look. They won't believe us. I'd have to go alone." I say.

"Just you? What about our family? What about Less?" He asks with a worried face.

He's right. I can't go alone. Without my family and Less, I have a patrol boat and land I don't know about. I don't have anything worth living for. I also can't take them all with me. My parents and Celestia's would never believe us, let alone go with us. They can't go. Also, where on Tetra will I get a patrol boat? I'll have to go meet someone with a patrol boat. Not only that, but convince them to let me take it. That puts their Level 1 job in jeopardy. This trip seems to make less and less sense.

"I couldn't take all of you. Do you really think our parents and theirs would believe us? Let alone go with us." I say.

"You'd really leave all of us behind? I want to come with you Lia. You can just take me you know. You don't have to take everyone else." He says.

No I couldn't. What if the land was too dangerous? What if it worse than here? I wouldn't want them there. For all I know, their government could put me in jail for trespassing. It's seems like a place with sailboats wouldn't have a government like that though… In that book it says sailboats are used for something to do. For fun. Still though, I couldn't take Aimes. Or anyone else. I need to explore this place by myself.

"No… what if the land is dangerous? I don't want to take you there if it's like that. Let's face it, you're a sissy." I say to him.

"What? No I'm not! I can handle it, I swear! You can't just leave me here Lia… I'd miss you." He says.

"Okay, how about this. I go to the place and see what it's like. If it's better than here, I come back and get you guys. If it's worse, I come back to stay. Is that okay?" I ask.

"But if it's worse, you probably won't come back." He says worriedly.

"Look, I know this seems like a big risk. It's better to take the risk than live like this for the rest of our lives. I'm going to meet a patrol boatman and make them let me steal a boat. You can't tell mom and dad about this. You can't tell anyone. I'll tell Less and Addyson, but no one else. You know I'll be back for you. I'd never leave you forever. You're my world." I say.

Aimes looks like he's about to cry. I've never really seen him do this before. He must be genuinely worried about me. If I never did come back his life would be over. I'm all that he has. He's all that I have. I know I have to go though. No one wants to live here. But the problem is, no one thinks they have a choice. I want to give them that choice. How will our rulers react? Surely they'd note my prolonged absence at school. After you're gone for a week, a guard comes to your house to make sure you're there. What would they do when I wasn't there? My parents would genuinely not know where I was, and Aimes would have to lie to the guard. The government would have to look everywhere for me. Every citizen has to be accounted for every day except for our day off; Sunday. Only a few jobs have to work on Sunday. Patrol boatmen don't have Sundays off, so it would work. Too bad tomorrow is Friday… I want to leave on a Sunday. How will I ever meet a patrol boatman in just a few days? I have to find someone. Maybe I can take Aimes to the West side of the island where all the merchants are. Surely there'd be a few patrol boatmen there on break. Besides, I do need to buy Celestia a birthday present for tomorrow.

"Sometimes we have to take risks, whether we want to or not. We have to take risks for the better of other people." I say.

"I know you have to leave. You've always told me if you ever got the chance to leave the island, you would. You have to go Lia. If anyone can fix this place, it's you." Aimes says.

I stroke Aimes' brown hair softly, and then I kiss the top of his head.

"You want to do something fun today?" I ask. "I've always wanted to take you to the West side of the island. I need to get Celestia a birthday present and find a patrol boatman. You want to come?"

"Of course I do! I want to buy you something too." He says.

"Alright, race you home!" I say.

I jump down from the tree, and start rushing home. I always win races against him. He's probably not even down from the tree yet. Surely enough when I get to the house, there he is still running towards me. go upstairs to my room and look inside of my pillowcase. 40 dollars is there, just where I left it. I meet him downstairs, and we walk outside towards the bus stop. A bus goes to the west shore every 20 minutes, and the same on the way back. We sit down on the bench to wait for the bus. I don't think Aimes has even been on a bus before. We always are walking places. There's not really a need to go to other sides of the island.

"If I don't find someone today, I'll have to wait until I do find someone. I want to leave on a Sunday though. That way the Rulers won't know I left." I say.

"Well I'll be sure to cover for you if any guards show up to our house. I got my lying skills down! I do it all the time when I tell the teachers that I lost my homework. I usually just don't feel like doing it." He says.

This is the one time his lying skills will actually be useful. What will he tell the guard? That I just went to someone else's house? Or that I left the north side? Whatever it is, he'll tell the lie good. If I want to trust anyone to lie for me, it's him.

"Just whenever you hear a knock on the door, you go get it. Not mom… Not dad… You. And if they ask who it was, just tell them it was a friend from school." I say.

"I know what to say Lia. You're talking to the master of lying." He says.

"Well I guess everyone is good at something." I say with a shrug and a laugh.

The bus slowly eases up to the bus stop. The bus door opens up with a loud creak. These buses are probably more than 30 years old. Instead of just making new ones, the government is constantly repairing them.

"2 round trip tickets to the west side please." I say to the driver.

"That'll be 4 dollars." The man says.

I hand him 4 dollars, and we board the bus. We take 2 seats towards the back. I look outside at the spring weather. It's already May. We get the whole month of August off. Then in September, we go back to school but in a new grade. I dread the days I'll be a Senior. Some kids don't even have to go to school as a Senior. If their 18th birthday is in August, they just start work then. It's weird how we go to school as a senior, and then just leave. One day a school student, another day a worker. Within one day. A postman drops off a letter at your house at 6 AM. You have to open it, then go to your job when it tells you to. Failure to go to your job on your first day and you get another letter the next day. They automatically give you a job that's on a lower level. The bus stops at a busy town full of shops. Merchant would be a good job to get. Huge supply trucks drop off drop off goods from the lower levels. Sometimes the Merchants even use parts from these goods to make stuff of their own. That's how I got Aimes' telescope.

"And here's your tickets for the way back. The buses run until 9. Be sure to be back by then!" The bus driver says as we walk out the door.

Aimes steps off the bus and just takes in his surroundings. He's never been away from the north side of the island. I've always wished that I could live over here. Everything just seems more happy and upbeat on the west. I look around at the stores. At the spare part store is where I found the telescope. He looks straight at someone in the crowd. Who is that?

"Aimes?" I question. "Who are you looking at?"

"Addy! Addy!" He yells and runs up to her.

I look through the crowd and see Addyson and Celestia looking back at us. They wave, and then start walking through the crowd to find us. How am I ever supposed to buy Less a birthday present if she's going to be following me around this whole time?

"Less!" I exclaim. "What are you doing here?"

"Well I thought I'd take Addy to see the west side before I had to work. I get my letter at 6 AM you know." Less says. "Today is my last day… Being a kid I guess."

Last day being a kid. After today, Celestia is a full citizen of Tetra Island. One that works every day. No longer does she have to go to school. No longer can she be with me very much… Maybe I should just enjoy today with her while it lasts. Who knows, her job might be one where she works all day long and just comes home for nighttime. Then in a few years, she has to get married and have kids. She'll probably get relocated to a different side of the island. I have to tell Less my plan. I kneel down to Aimes.

"Why don't you and Addyson look around while me and Less talk? We'll catch up with you later." I say.

Aimes and Addyson walk away leaving me and Less alone. She's going to think my plan is crazy. I explain to her about how Aimes and I climbed to the top of a tree and saw sailboats. I tell her how I'm going to find a patrol boatman and take their boat. The story leaves her wide eyed. She probably doesn't even believe what I just said.

"All these years…" She says.

"Lies. All these years we were lied to. By everyone. The government, our teachers. Our parents… I have to go there." I say.

"I know you have to leave Lia. You're destined for this. But how on Earth will you find a patrol boatman by Sunday?" She asks.

It will be a difficult task. If I want to leave this Sunday, that means I have only about 2 days to find someone. Not only that, but get them to like me. Like me enough to let me take their boat, and possibly their job.

"I don't know. But I'll find someone. I will. And when I come back to Tetra and say the government has lied to us all our lives…" I say.

"War. The people will start an uprising against the government. Are you sure this is a good idea?" She asks.

"If anything, that's what we need. If that's what it takes to get everyone off the island." I say.

I never really thought about that. What happens if and when I come back? People would probably at first think I was crazy. I would have to bring back some sort of proof. But what? And then that would start a war. What kind of war? The government couldn't just try to prove that I didn't come back from a different land. The people wouldn't believe the government after what I told them. What would we do as a war? Not go to work or school? March directly to the Rulers Palace and tell them they're liars? Whatever it is, I'm sure mostly everyone would participate. That or be against me for causing so much trouble.

"Well good luck on finding someone. The patrol boatmen have very irregular shifts and breaks. Addy and I have to get home." She says. "Addyson!"

Addyson runs up to Celestia with Aimes following close behind. She grabs Addy's hand and turns to walk away.

"Less… I'll see you tomorrow morning at 6… Right?" I ask.

"I'll see you then. And like I said, good luck." She says.

Less takes Addy's hand again and walks towards the bus stop. Addyson must be taking it pretty hard. She's always been so attached to Less. Going to work won't be bad, but the horrible thing is when Less is sent out to find a husband. She'll probably move to a totally different side of the island to only see her little sister occasionally. That's the worst part of living here. We're forced to get married and move. I don't even want to date, let alone get married. I would go to school and live with my parents and my brother the rest of my life if I could.

"You go ahead and run around looking in the stores." I say to Aimes. "I want you back no later 2 o'clock. You hear me? 2. There's a clock in the center of town."

"2 o'clock. Got it." He says and runs off.

I look around for any patrol boatmen on break. Absolutely none in sight. I'll just have to keep a look out as I walk. I walk into a kitchen store that has an assortment of every kitchen utensil you can think of. I walk over to a knife that has a little sign in front of it. It reads "SHARPEST KNIFE IN THE WORLD." This sounds ironic to me know, because I know there is another world besides this. The shop owner sees me looking at this knife and walks over to me.

"The knife can cut through a pineapple in one chop. It might look small, but it sure does work." He says.

I have no interest in this kind of stuff. My mom is usually the one that cooks around our house. Unless of course I used this knife for something else… If there's going to be a war, I might need a weapon. This is probably the closest thing I can get to one. If it truly is the sharpest knife on Tetra, that means I'll have the best weapon on Tetra.

"How much for it?" I ask the shop owner.

"20 dollars." He says.

"20 dollars!" I exclaim and almost drop the knife.

I guess I do have the money for it… What else am I going to spend it on? This should be 20 dollars well spent. But that sure seems a lot for just a knife. I dig in my pocket and hand the man a crumpled up 20 dollar bill.

"I'll take it." I say.

The man takes my 20 dollar bill and the knife from me. He wraps the knife in brown paper, and then puts it in a little box. I take the box from him and turn to the door.

"Have a nice day." He says as I walk out.

I look around for stores that Celestia might like. The house store? No. The store where I bought the telescope? Definite no. The bookstore? Perfect. I walk in and a scent of paper and dust comes over me. Celestia likes book that I like. Stories about the old world. The hard thing will be trying to find something she hasn't read. I approach the woman sitting behind the sales counter. She looks up at me from her book.

"Can I help you?" She asks.

"Do you have any stories from the old world?" I ask.

She gives me a puzzled look, and hesitates. She drops her book on her desk and walks over to a bookshelf in the very back of the store. She points at a particular shelf full of ancient looking books.

"Those are only 2 dollars each. No one is very interested in those kind of books." The woman says and walks back over to her counter.

I look at the assortment of the books no one has even bothered to look at. I blow hard on the shelf and a cloud of dust surrounds me. There's not much of a selection. Celestia and I have never really bought books here before though. We usually go to the school library for what we want to read. All the books I see are ones I have never read before. I pick out a book a dark navy blue in color. It's titled "The Present Day: The Way it is Now." I open the book and start flipping through the pages. I see pictures from back then. People swimming, eating some kind of bread thing, and looking at these weird skinny boxes. This must've been a very long time ago. I've never seen or read something like this. I'm sure Celestia will like this book very much. I walk over to the woman and set 2 dollars on her counter. She glances up quickly at the book I have.

"Thank you, have a good day." She says.

I'm out the door, and I turn my head to the center of town. I still have 20 minutes until I have to meet Aimes at the bus stop. There's really nothing else I have to do here, so I lean against the bookstore and watch the people walk by. I might as well face that I won't find a patrol boatman today. Tomorrow I'll go to the east side of the island to look. Then I'll have more time and I won't have to worry about Aimes running around a place he has no knowledge of. The 20 minutes goes by like seconds, and before I know it I'm waiting at the bus stop for Aimes. I see him run up to me with a small bag in his hand and a big smile on his face.

"Did you have fun today?" I ask him.

"The most fun I've ever had!" He says.

I smile at him and take his hand. The bus creeks up next to the bus stop sign. The door swivels open and I show the girl driving our round trip tickets. She motions her hand for us to come on. Again, there isn't anyone on the bus. It's not really time for anyone to go or come home from work.

"What did you get?" I ask Aimes.

"Just a couple plantains from the grocery store. I haven't had them in a while." He replies.

I nod and look out the window. That was probably my last trip to the west shore. If I do find land, I'll never need to go back to that side of the island. The bus door shuts and we get on our way. In no time we're already back home on the north shore. Aimes and I get off the bus and begin to walk home. When I get home, I just lay down on my bed. Tomorrow is a big day. My last full day on Tetra. Tomorrow I find someone on the east shore and have them let me take their boat. That will sure be a hard task. But I want this so much, I'll be able to get the job done. I get kind of tired and just decide to sleep. When I wake up, I realize it's already 7 o'clock. I go downstairs and see my parents serving fish.

"We were just about to wake you up." My dad says.

"I must have slept a long time." I say.

I sit down at the dinner table and begin to eat my fish. We don't get fish very often. We usually eat some sort of fruit salad or something. I'm not very hungry. I only eat a few pieces and then put my fork down.

"What's wrong Lia? You usually eat all of your food." My mom says.

"Oh I'm fine. It's just… Tomorrow Celestia gets her job package. I'm just nervous she won't get a good job. That's all." I lie.

That's the least of my worries right now. I'm really worried that I won't be able to find a patrol boatman tomorrow. But I obviously can't tell my mom that. She's going to know nothing about this situation. I guess my parents will just have to think that I went missing. I can't help that. They'd never approve of this trip. Even if there was for sure other land they wouldn't let me go.

"Are you and Aimes going to leave early to stop by her house tomorrow?" My father aks.

"Yeah we are. I'm going to go to bed now so I can wake up early." I say. "You should too Aimes."

I'm really not tired at all. Not after that long nap I just had. I'll probably just lay in bed and think about tomorrow. I walk back upstairs and pick up Less' book. I grab some scrap paper and wrap it up. I even make an effort to write her name on it. Afterwards, I hide my new knife in my dresser. I change into my pajamas and lay back down in my messy bed. Surprisingly I can already feel myself drift to sleep…

"Lia! Lia! It's time to wake up!" Someone yells loudly in my ear.

I flutter my eyes open and see Aimes above me. Oh that's right. It's time to go to Celestia's. I tell Aimes to meet me downstairs in five minutes. I put my school clothes on and brush my teeth. I grab Less' present and head out the door with Aimes. Luckily Less' house is only a couple blocks away from mine. I hope that I'm not too late for her to open her job package. When we get there, I knock on the front door. In a few moments, a sleepy Addyson appears.

"Lia! Aimes!" She exclaims. "Come on in!"

We walk in their house. It looks almost exactly the same as our house. Celestia's parents also have to leave at five in the morning. They aren't one of the luckier couples though. Celestia's mom has to work on level 2 putting together clocks, and her dad works on level 4 making school supplies. I see the job package sitting on the kitchen table. I walk in the kitchen and see Less standing there waiting for me.

"I couldn't open it myself, Lia." She says. "Would you open it for me? Open the letter first, not the package with my uniform."

"Of course I will." I say.

I tear the white envelope off the box. On it says "CELESTIA HARPIN." I rip open the top of the envelope and slowly pull the piece of paper out. I unfold the paper and skim over the first few parts. I almost faint when I see the big bold words at the bottom. Less has been assigned… Patrol Boatman.

**Thank you so much for reading, you have no idea it really means the world to me. If you guys could please review and tell me suggestions about how to improve this story I would greatly appreciate it! And this question has been asked the most by my followers and people who PM me... YES there will be a guy in this story! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey readers and EverlarkQuotes followers! Enjoy!**

Tetra Island: Chapter 3

I drop the letter and fall back trying to catch myself on something. I end up just falling on the ground. Celestia rushes over to me and tries to figure out what's wrong with me. It probably looks like I just had a heart attack or something. I probably almost did.

"Lia! Lia! What's the matter? Is the job bad?" She asks frantically.

"You got… Patrol Boatman." I say blankly.

I can see Less try to make sense of it all. Her face softens and she looks back down at me. She knows why I'm feeling what I'm feeling right now. She picks up the letter and reads it for herself. I can't take this job away from her. A random person is one thing, but not my best friend. She got a Level 1 job. If anything, both of us should be happy. But this just makes me feel horrible. This is my chance to leave the island, and she knows that. I could never take this job away from her. She looks back down at me and her face lightens up.

"Well this is good news." She says. "This means you can leave tonight."

"But Less! You know I can't take this job away from you… What happens if I don't come back? What happens if this new land isn't somewhere good to live, and I just come back and nothing happens? You lose your Level 1 job! You work underground!" I say raising my voice. "I can't ruin your life like that!"

I can't believe she actually wants to give up something as big as this… For me. The risk is huge, and she could even get arrested if she doesn't play this out right. This is what we've dreamed of since we were little girls though. To leave the island and go somewhere where we can choose how to live our lives. And now… This dream could come true.

"You know this is what we've always wanted Lia. You and I both know very well that it'd take forever to take someone else's boat. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. Now tell me you'll take it before I change my mind." Less says with a sigh. "This was all meant to be."

Less is right. I wasn't even thinking realistically. There is no way I would be able to find someone who would actually let me steal their boat. This might be my one and only chance. My opportunity of a lifetime. And if this is what Celestia wants, then what reason is there not to do it?

"Okay I'll take it… But how is this even going to work? We need a plan." I ask.

"Here's what I'm thinking you'll do. It says for me to show up at the North boat post and report for work at 5. Why don't you show up as me? They have no idea what I look like. I'll call the mail post and tell them I never received my package. By that time they'll realize someone stole it, and took my job. It won't be until I'm supposed to get out of work that they realize that the boat is gone. Does that make sense?" Celestia asks.

She came up with this plan within only about 10 minutes. And it is brilliant. This way no one gets in trouble. That is until they find out I've been missing for a while. Coming back will be a lot harder than leaving. It will be difficult to even get close the island. The guards and patrol boats will see me and capture me. Somehow, I'll have to come back without getting caught. If I ever do get the chance to come back…

"That sounds like a great plan." Aimes says walking in. "But that means… You have to leave today, Lia."

I look at Aimes and a sharp feeling of pain rushes over me. Seeing that sad look in his eyes just kills everything inside of me. Today might be the last day that I see Aimes ever. But I can't take him with me. I'll risk my life, but I would never risk his in a million years. Emotions are running through me so much, I don't even know how to respond to this. I just walk over to him, and hug him hard. Aimes, the only boy besides my father that I actually care about.

"I'll be okay. You don't have to go to school today, I want to spend my last day with you." I say to him.

With all this excitement, I almost completely forgot. Today is Celestia's birthday. It's supposed to be a day of celebrating. I grab her wrapped up present and hand it to her. She slowly unwraps the wrapping paper and then smiles at the sight of it.

"Do you like it?" I ask.

"Thank you Lia." She says. "Now don't forget to take my uniform and job manual. I'll meet you at your house around 4:30 to say goodbye."

To say goodbye. Because I'm leaving. I'm leaving to the place I've always dreamed of. The place no one even thought existed. A place that might save me from living on this horrible island. I wrap my arms around Less and hold there for what seems like forever. I walk to the door and look back at her.

"See you at 4:30." I say.

I take Aimes' hand and walk him not to school, but back home with me. My last walk home from Celestia's. I immediately go upstairs and grab my knife and Aimes' telescope. I come back downstairs and take my brother's hand again. We haven't even said a word to each other since we've been walking. Maybe because there's too much to say? Or maybe nothing at all? We walk through the thick forest until we find my tree, marked with the L. I take my knife out of my bag and put it in his hand. His eyes widen.

"What is this for?" Aimes asks.

"I want you to carve an A into this tree. It's yours now." I say.

Aimes tightens his grip against the knife, and begins to carve. His shaky hands slowly carve a capital A in the bark of the tree. Seeing him carve with this knife really makes me think. There's going to be a war here when I come back. Maybe even before if there's a huge search party for me. What will I need this knife for? Only precautionary reasons. I don't think I should go into some strange land and just kill people. Even if they do put me in jail or something, I can't just kill people. That's not right. But if there's a war here… I wouldn't have a problem with Aimes killing someone who could hurt him.

"Look Aimes… I bought that knife yesterday while we were in West town. It's supposed to be the sharpest knife on Tetra. Me leaving might start some trouble, maybe even a war. I want you to keep that knife near your bed just in case. Somewhere Mom and Dad can't see it obviously. If anyone tries to hurt you in any way, don't be hesitant to threaten to kill them. I know it's a lot to ask from you, but I just… I can't risk you getting hurt." I say.

Aimes stops carving and looks at me with big eyes.

"You're not kidding… Are you?" He asks with a short laugh. "Well I guess if that gives you a piece of mind, I'll do it. But do you really think things will get that bad here?"

"You can never be too careful." I say.

Aimes goes back to carving his letter. I can't believe how well he took that. Most times when I tell him something important, he doesn't take it very seriously. Half the time he doesn't even listen to what I have to say. He finishes carving the A, and then just looks down at the knife. It must not be easy to have the thought that you possibly have to kill someone. Especially to a 10 year old. Especially to Aimes. Someone who hasn't even had the courage to climb a tree until yesterday.

"What happens if I do actually have to kill someone? How will I live with myself?" Aimes asks.

"You'll just have to adjust… Because if you died, there would be no possibility of me adjusting." I say with a frown.

It's a terribly selfish thing for me to ask of him, but I am right. Aimes is my world. My everything. Lose him and I've lost everything. Aimes carefully sets the knife down at the base of the tree and picks up his telescope. To my surprise, he starts climbing up the tree. I go up right after him. When I'm at the top, he's sitting there looking out at the sailboats with his telescope.

"Hey, what are you doing here on my tree?" He asks.

I almost burst out laughing. It just sounds so funny. His tree. I guess I did give it to him, but I've had this thing since like second grade. I take the telescope from his hands and look north. There they are again, the sailboats. Just peacefully sitting there, not a care in the world. I bring the telescope down, and they disappear. Now all I see on the horizon are what I thought were clouds for my whole life.

"The horizon is 25 miles away. You can't see any farther than that because of the curvature of the Earth." I say. "That means those boats are only 25 miles away, they seem to sit right on the horizon."

25 miles which separates Tetra from a whole different world. Aimes starts digging in his pants pocket, and pulls out a small bag. He puts it on my lap. I reach inside, and pull out something cold and metal. It's a silver circle with chain on it of some sort. Only about an inch in diameter.

"Open it up." He says.

I found a notch where the circle opens, and I slowly open it up. Inside, I see what Aimes has gotten me. A compass. A necklace compass.

"This way… You can always find your way back to me." He says.

I put the necklace around my neck and fling my arms around Aimes.

"You know I will always come back to you no matter where I am. I want you to come up here every day after school, and look out at the horizon with your telescope. When you see a boat coming towards you, you know I'm coming home." I say.

We just sit here for hours, me stroking his hair, looking at the ocean. There is no place right now I would rather be than here. If I could sit up here for the rest of my life with Aimes, I would. But that is illogical. Today is the day I leave. And when I come back, not only do I promise him a better life, but everyone else on Tetra. Judging by the sun, it's already 4 O'clock. We better start heading back. I climb down the tree and motion him to follow. He picks up his knife and the base of the tree and catches up to me. I guess I'll never get to say goodbye to my parents. When they get home, I won't be there. Should I leave them some sort of note? No, I can't. They have to be completely oblivious about this whole situation. They can't know anything what so ever about it. I open my front door when Aimes and I arrive at my house, and find Less and Addy already there. What are they doing here? Less said 4:30.

"You're early." I say.

"I thought this would give us more time together, besides, it's always better to show up a few minutes early on the first day of work." Celestia says.

I sit down next to Less on the couch, and we talk about just normal things. Books, Tetra, school… Then we start to talk about the serious stuff. I never thought this conversation would ever come up. It's weird to be talking about leaving, and the possible war that I could start.

"Now remember, those boats are about 25 miles away. The patrol boats only run up to 20 miles an hour. So it should take you a little over an hour to get there. You should probably get going soon." Less says.

I get up and look over at the kitchen table. Laying there is a uniform I've only seen a few times in my life. A navy blue, button down shirt with matching navy blue pants. And to top that off, a white sailor hat with an anchor on it. I collect the whole uniform and walk upstairs to my room. I put on my new uniform, and then get to work on my hair. How should I do it? I really don't want the person at the North post to see the color of my hair. The less they know about my appearance, the better. I decide to pull it up in a bun on the very top of my head. I put on the hat tight, so none of my hair sticks out. I look like a true patrol boatman. I pick up my school clothes and put them in a bag with my patrol boat manual. I'll change my clothes when I'm on my boat. I can't go into a new place looking like this obviously. They'd think I'm some sort of sailor. I look around my blank room, and say goodbye to it. This easily could be the last time I ever see it. I go downstairs and show everyone my new appearance.

"Wow Lia… Is that even you?" Addyson says with a giggle.

Well that's good, I look unrecognizable. I could look like anyone on Tetra. With my hair tucked in, and my whole body covered, no one will recognize who I am.

"Yes, it's me." I say with a laugh.

"Well you shouldn't be late." Less says.

This is it. This might be the last time I see the ones I've known my whole life. I grab all three of them at the same time and hug them. I'm ready to leave as I'll ever be. I hug them for as long as I can.

"You have to go." Celestia says.

I let go of all of them at the same time, pick up my bag, and walk to the door. I look behind me one last time.

"Be safe…" I say to no one in particular.

Well here I go. On my way to fulfil my dream, and save everyone from this awful island. The walk to the North post isn't very long. In no time I'm there, knocking on the door. A tall man opens the door and sees me. The North post manager.

"Celestia Harpin reporting for duty." I say plainly.

"Ah yes, the new sailor. Well let's get you started. I assume you remember everything about how to operate a patrol boat?" He says.

Most of it I do. This was actually one of the jobs I paid attention to in Job Study. This is one of the jobs I would actually want. Considering it's a level 1 job, and you get to see the ocean every day.

"You assume correctly. Also, I have my job manual with me in this bag just in case." I say holding up my bag.

"Very good Celestia. You have come prepared. Follow me please." The man says.

The man takes me through the North post. It's nothing more than a small room with a desk and a chair. This room is meant only for patrol boatmen to walk through, check in with the manager, and go to the dock. The manager's only job is to make sure everyone shows up to work, and to guide new workers like me. We go through the next door which leads us to the dock and beach.

"Wait here on the beach while I check the safety requirements for boat number 36." The manager says.

I immediately walk straight over to the ocean and kneel down on the sand. I cautiously reach my hand out to the water, and then touch it. Shivers run down my whole body. It feels like I'm touching pure happiness itself. It's warm, soft, and more than I've ever imagined. Nothing like the water that floods our streets from hurricanes. The manager's voice calls me to attention.

"Alright, boat number 36 is all set. Your course today will be to go east around the island. Try to not to exceed 10 miles per hour. Be safe, and good luck on your first day!" He says.

The manager drops the keys to the boat in my hands. I walk down to the boat and jump right in. I turn back and make sure no one is around. No one is, and the manager already went back to his office. I start the boat and hear the engines loud roar.

"You got this Lia." I reassure myself.

I back out of the dock and turn the boat north. Right towards the white fog on the horizon. I accelerate to 20 miles per hour and look back behind me. Tetra Island gets smaller and smaller by the minute. I look in front of me and see nothing but the sparkling blue sea. I take off my uniform, and put on my school clothes. Then I let my hair down out of the bun. That feels so much better with the hot evening sun to the west. A half hour of driving passes quickly. Then suddenly, I feel a small drop of water on my arm. I look around me. I don't see any water coming up to the boats deck. Then I look up. Ominous black clouds are hovering above me. The drops come down randomly, and then more steadily. The only place the patrol boat is covered in directly above the steering wheel and control panel. I really have no protection at all. The rain comes to a downpour, and then thunder comes after. I'm drenched in seconds, there's no hope in being dry anymore. The wind picks up, and the waves grow bigger. I try to speed up the boat more to reduce the rocking, but I'm already going as fast as I can. Seconds pass like minutes, minutes pass like hours. The fog is so dense, I can't see Tetra behind me, or the sailboats in front. I pull the compass out from my shirt, and look to make sure I'm still going north. I am, so I just continue on. There's really nothing I can do. By the minute, the storm seems to strengthen and the wave size seems to increase. Should I stop, or would that just make matters worse? The boat rocks harder, threatening to tip. But then, I squint and see the sailboats not far off. Maybe only a few more miles. Not only is water pouring on me from the rain, but also from the waves crashing up on my boat. A few more minutes pass, and now I see the sailboats not far off at all. I feel a wind gust that rocks the boat with great force, knocking off into the warm, deep blue water. I struggle to get back up on the deck of the boat, but my hands keep slipping. Then, I see a huge wave coming for me from my left. I grip the boat as tightly as I can, but the water disagrees with me staying on. The wave draws nearer. I know there isn't enough time for me to swim far enough the escape it. I just try to keep my head above water as best as I can. I've never even swam before. I take a huge breath, squeeze my eyes shut and I feel the wave take me under with it. Under the water I can't even tell which way is up. My breath of air is running out quickly. I swim in a direction I think is up, but I'm wrong. I can feel the ocean sucking the life out of me. My head feels like it's going to explode. This is it. I feel my body shutting down, and the last feeling I have is an unescapable emptiness.

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED! Please, please, tell me if you like it by reviewing, PMing me, or DMing me on EverlarkQuotes! I really want to know if I should continue this story!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys here's another chapter!**

Tetra Island: Chapter 4

I flicker my eyes open, and find myself in a pitch black, cold room. I'm lying down on an unfamiliar bed. I slowly push myself up from the pillow, and try to crawl off the bed. My head feels like someone's hitting it with a hammer. There's no use of trying to sit up anymore. I plop my head back on my pillow and close my eyes. I'll find out soon enough where I am, I don't exactly need to know right now. I must have been knocked out for a little while, my hair is already pretty close to dry. I hear strange male voices coming from outside the room. I listen to them for a few more minutes, and then I hear someone come in. I feel a pair of cold, wet arms slip under me, and lift me off the bed. I expect the person to take me into a different room or something, but instead I feel myself outside again. The wind and rain feels like tiny knives stabbing into my skin.

"Is she alright?" One of the men asks.

"Yeah. She's just been knocked out for a couple of hours. Lucky for us we got back here before a wave knocked us over or something. We haven't had a thunderstorm like this in years. It usually doesn't rain too much till November." The man carrying me says.

I want to say something, but the icy wind seems to take my breath away. My brain starts to make sense of it all. It turns out I wasn't in a room at all, I was on a boat. This man must have one of those bigger boats, the kind you can actually sleep on. I'm lifted onto a table it feels like. I feel a mask go over my face that helps me breathe a little easier. Am I in a hospital or something? I hear two doors shut, and then we start moving. Okay, so I'm not in a hospital. Maybe I'm in a bus or something. That would explain how we're moving. I open my eyes and see a girl dressed in all white sitting next to the table. I peel the mask off my face and look right at her.

"Where am I?" I ask.

The girl stares at me in shock. She attempts to put the mask back on me, but I push it away. Is she not answering my question for some reason?

"Where am I?" I repeat.

"You really should keep the mask on to help you breathe. You're in ambulance." The girl says.

An ambulance? What is that? I let the girl put the mask back on me, and I look around some more. It looks like a tiny hospital room. It's filled with only a table, a chair, and counter full of medical tools. Maybe an ambulance is some kind of moveable hospital room. I take the mask off again.

"Where are you taking me?" I ask.

"Maybe you have some brain damage… We're going to the hospital." The girl replies.

Why would we be going to a hospital if we're already sort of in one? It must've been a short distance between the boat and the hospital, within a few minutes we're there. The girl opens the two doors, and someone is waiting outside with a wheelchair.

"That won't be necessary." I say. "I think I can walk."

The woman with the wheelchair laughs, and helps me into it anyway. I'm wheeled into an elevator. We have a few elevators on Tetra. There's a couple in our hospital, and I've heard there's a bunch in Ruler's Palace. We're brought up to the 3rd floor, and I'm wheeled into a large hospital room. I'm helped into bed, and then I'm left alone. This trip has already been life changing. I almost drowned, but was then saved by some mystery man on his boat. Now I'm on the land I've always dreamed existed. But I'm stuck in a hospital. A man with a white doctor's coat walks in and looks down at me.

"So you were the girl that almost drowned." He says.

The man's voice sounds familiar. I think he was one of the men at the boat. Not the one that was carrying me though. He's a tall man that sort of reminds me of my father. He's tall with blondish-gray hair and blue eyes. He'd look a lot more like my father if he had brown eyes though. I look at his tag on his coat. It reads "Dr. Ryan Cherett."

"That's me." I say. "Were you there when I got off the boat?"

"It's funny how you remember that. I thought you were knocked out." He says. "You have a name?"

I look up at him and just nod. What's the harm of giving him my name though? They'd probably just look it up in their records and find nothing. I'll give him my name. But when they look me up and find nothing, I'm not telling them where I'm from. Not yet at least.

"My name is Lia Marklin." I say. "But that's not important. Who was that guy? The one that saved me?"

I try to change the subject, but I really do want to know who saved me. Maybe I can meet this guy again and thank him. Maybe he'll actually believe me about Tetra. He's the only one that saw me on my boat.

"Oh him?" The doctor says with a laugh. "That was my son, William. You're very lucky he was out there to save you, Lia. Can you tell me where you're from?"

"I can't really remember…" I lie. "I must've hit my head or something. How long do you think I'll be here?"

I just hope that I don't have to be treated for brain damage or something now. I'll tell them the truth later, once they figure out I'm nowhere in their records. I just really hope I don't have to stay here for too long. The longer I'm in this place, the worse Tetra gets. The people here seem pretty nice, considering one of them saved my life.

"You shouldn't be here too long. We'll put you on some pain medication to get rid of any headaches or pains you have. After you think you're feeling alright we'll let you go. Okay?" He asks.

"Okay." I say.

That's the best possible answer he could give me. A few pain meds and I'm out. I might not even have to tell the hospital where I'm from. I could just make something up. I'll find some sort of proof to bring back to Tetra, and then just go back. But there's one problem. My boat. Who knows where it is now? It's probably drifting out to sea somewhere. I hate to do it, but now I have to _take _someone else's boat. This boat I'd be giving back of course though. Once I come back here. Dr. Cherett walks back in with another man by his side. Another doctor I assume. Maybe they're here to test my "brain damage."

"Lia, this is Dr. Sill. He's going to help you retrace your steps so you can try to remember where you're from. We can't release you until we have some sort of record of where you're from, or who one of your family members are." Dr. Cherett says.

Oh no. This can't happen. No, no, no, no, no. My plan was going fine until this doctor had to walk in. If it weren't for that stupid thunderstorm, none of this would have ever happened. It's either I make up a really good lie about this, or I just flat out tell the truth. Either could get me in trouble. I know not nearly enough about this land to make up a good lie. Looks like whatever he asks, I'll tell the truth about. I just hope they don't put me in some mental hospital after I tell them.

"Hi Lia, I'm Dr. Sill. Today all we're going to do is retrace your steps. Where do you last remember you were?" Dr. Sill asks and sits on my bed.

"Look Dr. Sill." I say and sit up on my bed. "I have a big truth to tell you. I'm not from this land at all… There's this tiny island off your coast about 30 miles away. It's called Tetra Island. All of our lives, the government has told the people of Tetra we were the only land left in the world. They told us there was a huge disaster decades ago that caused the Earth to drown the continents with water. I never believed this, so I stole one of the government's boats, and somehow managed to get my way over here."

Both Dr. Sill and Dr. Cherett are left with astonished faces. Just what I expected. They think I'm crazy. Dr. Cherett laughs and shakes his head.

"Good story Lia, now tell us where you're really from. Okay?" Dr. Cherett says still laughing.

"I just told you. I'm not making it up." I say with a serious face.

Both doctors' faces go from smiles, to a worried look. Great. They think I'm mental now or something. Dr. Sill gets up from my bed and walks over to Dr. Cherett. They whisper some things to each other. I catch words like "memory loss" and "crazy." Now I'll be stuck in this hospital until I can prove Tetra Island actually exists. This task will be close to impossible, since I don't even have anything to show them. I came with myself, my clothes, and my compass necklace. That's it. I don't look much different from the other people who live here. I've had enough of those doctors whispering to each other. I'm not crazy. I'm not mental. I've told them nothing but the truth. I have _not_ come this far to be stuck here.

"I'm not crazy. And I don't have memory loss." I say boldly.

Dr. Sill walks over to me and sits down on my bed again.

"Now Lia, you know what you just said is completely illogical. Dr. Cherett and I think you may have some bad brain damage. In no time though, we should have your memory completely repaired." Dr. Sill says in a calm manner.

I'm not crazy. I'm not mental. I've told them nothing but the truth.

"Tell me Dr. Sill… Have your people ever taken your boats over 25 miles away from shore going south?" I say raising my voice.

"Well… No. It's against the law for our sailboats to go out that far. There's nothing you can prove though, Lia. Just face that you have brain damage, we'll fix it with no problem." Dr. Sill says.

I'm not crazy. I'm not mental. I've told them nothing but the truth.

"Tetra Island _is_ real." I growl. "You'll never be able to 'fix' me. I'll always be telling you about Tetra, no matter what information you try to drill out of my brain."

"I want you to listen to me, Lia. Tetra Island is not real. It's a place you made up inside that mind of yours. Okay?" Dr. Sill says.

I'm not crazy. I'm not mental. I've told them nothing but the truth. I can't take this anymore. I came to this place to fix my problems, not make more. My brain seems to be thinking, but my body loses all control. My hands form around Dr. Sill's neck, and I choke him.

"Tetra Island is real!" I scream at the top of my lungs.

"Lia! Lia! Let…go." Dr. Sill chokes.

I'm not crazy. I'm not mental. I've told them nothing but the truth. Nurses and doctors of all sort rush into the room. I don't let go. If anything I hold on tighter.

"It's real! It's real!" I yell with tears in my eyes. "Tetra Island is real!"

Nurses struggle to yank my hands from Dr. Sill's neck. They eventually get me off, and then I feel a sharp pain in my arm. I know exactly what it is. A sleeping shot.

**Be sure to review or PM me so I know if I should continue! (Or even DM me on my account EverlarkQuotes)**


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